Alfre Woodard, Bill Murray, and the Song That MadeScroogeda Holiday Classic
There’s a fresh wave of conversation right now around Alfre Woodard, and it’s rooted in a moment that many people remember without even realizing how much weight it carried at the time. Woodard has been reflecting on her role in Scrooged , the 1988 holiday film that turned Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol into a sharp, modern comedy led by Bill Murray. What’s being talked about most isn’t just the film itself, but that unforgettable closing sing-along that helped turn Scrooged into a Christmas staple.
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In the final moments of the movie, after Murray’s character Frank Cross finally learns the meaning of the season, it’s Woodard’s character, Grace, who steps forward. She leads the entire studio, and the audience watching at home, into a joyful rendition of “Put a Little Love in Your Heart.” It sounds simple now, but Woodard has explained that leading that moment came with real responsibility. A key had to be chosen that everyone could sing, and the energy had to feel natural, not forced. The song needed to lift the entire room, and it was made clear that once those opening notes landed, the rest would follow.
That sense of looseness carried over into how the film was made, especially with Bill Murray on set. According to Woodard, Murray thrived on the reaction of the crew. Lines were often improvised, scenes were rarely done the same way twice, and if laughter wasn’t breaking out behind the camera, he would try something new. The crew essentially became his live audience, and that spirit ended up shaping the film’s tone.
Although Scrooged received mixed reviews when it was first released, audiences showed up. The film earned around $60 million at the box office and then took on a second life through home video, cable, and eventually streaming. Over time, it quietly became a tradition. Woodard says people still tell her they watched it as kids and now share it with their own children, which is something awards and opening-weekend numbers can’t really measure.
Looking back, Woodard doesn’t define her career by Oscar nights or red carpets, even though she earned an Academy Award nomination for Cross Creek in the early 1980s. Instead, she remembers the work itself, the long days, the risks, and the moments of shared joy, like that Scrooged sing-along. Decades later, that song still carries its message, and thanks to Woodard’s steady voice leading the way, it continues to echo every holiday season.
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